Attunement
by Eclipse shadows
Summary: Temari is halfway through her pregnancy when she runs into a little problem. The type of problem that involves explosions and destruction by her own hand, and it's not even on purpose!
1. Chapter 1

_The hellscape of her mind was dark as usual, tinged with blood. She had walked this path before, although it had become less frequent in the years of peace that followed the Great War. She was surrounded by a world of human wreckage. The air was rent with screams of the dying, the clash of weapons, the smell of death. She picked her way past the bodies of the fallen, looking….searching. Her brothers, friends, family. She must be there for them. The darkness illuminated for a brief moment, revealing a well known figure lying on the ground. She rushed to his side, knowing what she would find. His pale, bloodless face, his vivid hair even washed out in the dim light. Too still. She felt a lurch in her midsection that seemed to have a mind of its own, a fear that was palpable even in this land of dreams._

_Even in her grief, her eyes were drawn to another scene, a hospital bed, a person convulsing in pain, a young girl desperately trying to draw poison from his wounds. Her terror grew, as well as a feeling of helplessness that was foreign to her. She turned away from the scene as lightning slashed through the sky, and rain started to pelt down. The thunder crashed violently around her. As lightning cut the world in half again, she saw something that chilled her to her very core, making her stomach heave again. Something that was different this time. A shape was coming out of the darkness, stalking like a predator towards a figure huddled in the fetal position on the ground, covered in wounds and blood. She stepped closer and recognized him. Shikamaru. Her breath hitched as she saw that he was gathered protectively around something in his arms. A small shape...a child?_

_Something happened then that had never happened before in this recurring dream. She felt a fierce rush of protectiveness, anger, and determination. Suddenly feeling a familiar heavy weight on her back, she pulled her fan from its casing, opening it with a seasoned, practiced motion. She began to gather chakra to herself, and it seemed that there was much more available than usual. The heady power thrummed through her body and centered in her chest and abdomen as she prepared to protect her family. She would not let any of them die, ever again._

"_Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Technique!" The chakra ripped from her body like a torrent as she used her fan to send currents of wind hurtling towards the shadow figure. The wind spiraled outward like a tsunami, destroying everything in its wake. Too much. Too fast. The world shattered._

* * *

Brightness. Pain. Teal eyes blinked open in disorientation. Temari was at home, in bed. Or she was originally, she was currently lying on the floor. She looked down. There was blood on her. Where was it from? Her face and hands stung, and she brought them up to look at them. Her wrists looked _burnt, _and there seemed to be shards of wood peppering her skin_._ Why were her wrists burnt? Why is she getting wet? A bright light flashed, and Temari automatically looked up. Her eyes widened as a resounding boom echoed through the house, stunned by what she saw before her. The entire back wall of her bedroom was gone, a ragged hole was all that was left. She could see the Nara forest past the sheets of rain coming down outside during every lightning strike.

'Well, that's one way to get an access door to the outside built into the bedroom,' Temari thought hysterically. She was a bit panicked, not quite sure what was going on. A swooping, sick feeling struck her suddenly. The baby! Was the baby ok? She pulled herself off of the floor onto the bed and tried to do an assessment of her state. She gently cradled her softly swelling abdomen, and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt a small flutter.

Temari stood up, and immediately was flooded with dizziness and nausea. Her stomach lurched, and she put a steadying hand on the bed. As she did so, a warm, almost painful sensation of force leaped from her chest and abdomen, down her arm and into the bed. A shockwave passed through the bed's surface and rippled through the air and fabric, as an earthquake seemed to tear the frame apart. Stunned, Temari looked at her hands, then the ruins of her bed. "Oh. Oh no."

Tentatively, she reached for her cellphone. She waited a moment, to see if the wave would pass through her again. When it didn't, Temari sighed with relief. Hitting number 1 on her favorites list, she anxiously waited for the call to be picked up. "Shika. I need you. Right now. And...and bring someone who can seal."

* * *

Shikamaru stood in the doorway of their bedroom, utterly stunned. The cryptic phone call had barely been disconnected and he was out the window of Hokage Tower, with Kakashi calling behind him. He barely remembered traveling to his home at all, and arrived, wet and disheveled, to utter chaos. His beautiful, fiery, brilliant wife was curled into herself on the floor, covered in blood and surrounded by devastation, and staring at her hands. He took one look at her haunted visage and dove to her side, gathering her in his arms, sensing that she was unaware he was holding her. Something about her vulnerability terrified him. They stayed on the floor for quite awhile, just holding onto each other, until Shikamaru felt the chakra signatures of multiple ANBU around and in his home. He gently released Temari and stood up to greet them, noticing that she immediately went back to the almost protective upright fetal position he had originally found her in, now gently cradling her abdomen. As he ripped his gaze away from her, he felt himself almost unconsciously stepping closer to the ragged damage in the wall. Shikamaru stepped to the edge and noticed the damage was not limited to the wall, but had hit part of the roof and traveled all the way to the first trees in the edge of the Nara forest. One of the herds of deer was near the mangled trees, staring curiously at him. He smiled gently as he turned around and walked carefully back to his wife's side. Sliding down the wall, Shikamaru gently grasped her hand. Temari finally noticed he was there, and gasped. Tears filled her eyes, which made his stomach clench with fear and protectiveness.

"Shika. I-I don't know what happened. I was sleeping and….I had that dream. The one about the war. But this time it was different, and something…..something happened." Temari looked at the hole in the wall. "I saw you, and I couldn't control it." She glared at her hands, then looked up into his face, a familiar fire in her teal gaze. "I didn't want to control it. He doesn't get to lay a finger on my family!"

Shikamaru studied his wife. Something about her determination reminded him that she was the mother of their child, a lioness protecting her cub. She was a powerful goddess of vengeance and strength, not someone that should be underestimated. A stunning, beautiful creature. As he observed her, however, he felt a stinging warmth coming from her palm. Glancing down, he gulped as he witnessed blue chakra streaming from between their interclasped fingers. Each tendril of chakra that escaped became its own tornado, lazily spinning away from her hand and out into the room. The air of the bedroom became stifling, and immediately, ANBU rushed to the door and the gaping wound in the wall. The chakra pouring off of Temari was astonishing in its strength and potency.

"I will keep our family safe. No one will touch my family! Ever again! I will protect us all!" Temari had a manic gleam in her eye, and the chakra started pouring from her abdomen and head, rippling like a heat wave through the air. The ANBU swiftly stepped back, and Cat swiftly slid a package to Shikamaru, unwilling to come further into the room.

"Temari, I'm going to need you to listen to me. You are safe. I'm here. We need to put a seal on you and go speak with the Hokage. May I put a seal on you? I will not leave you, but I need my hand." Shikamaru tried to disengage from her grip, only to find he was held fast in an almost magnetic hold, and felt the tell-tale siphoning feel of his own chakra being pulled from him forcefully. He could see his shadows starting to mix and meld with the blue tornadoes as they formed at their joined fingertips, and gasped at the foreign yet _right _feeling, like this was what was meant to happen. Shikamaru slowly opened the package and pulled out two paper seals, and after a moment's hesitation, a third. "You are leaking chakra. We need to see what is going on. We need to make sure you and the baby are ok." Temari finally seemed to actually see Shikamaru, and then glanced down at their joined hand, now completely ringed in blue chakra and black shadows. It seemed to pause in its undulation for a moment, a split second of hesitation. Shikamaru took the opportunity as any elite shinobi would, and in one quick motion, pulled the seal and fastened it quickly to her forehead. Temari gasped and dropped his hand, and the chakra fluctuated, then roared from her hands like an unleashed beast to skip across the floor. He quickly dove out of the flight path and quickly stuck another seal on her chest and abdomen. The chakra disappeared like a candle being snuffed out in a breeze, and Temari toppled forward toward the floor, intercepted by her husband's arms. He gently turned her face toward him, only to realize she was unconscious.

* * *

"Well, the baby is ok, and Temari was not badly injured by the debris." Sakura pulled the gloves off with a resounding _snap. _"The burns on her wrists and body are problematic. They look like chakra burns. From what she has described and what was witnessed, it sounds like her chakra is extremely unstable. I am also very worried about what you told me of your body's reaction to her chakra. I need to get more information, so I have asked Naruto and Hinata to meet us at the Hokage Tower. Kakashi-sensei has also requested Yamato-san to come to the tower to observe and potentially seal her in a more stable manner until we can figure out what is going on."

Shikamaru sighed, and rubbed the back of his head absently. Temari was still not completely awake, and the time period between the sealing and Sakura's arrival seemed like some of the longest moments of his life. He knew that he only had a small window of opportunity to get her moved to the tower so they could seal her with something more stable, but he was hesitant to subject his wife to any more scrutiny and stress. This was really not how he expected today to go.

Temari groaned, and started to sit up. Shikamaru was immediately by her side, helping her prop up on the pillows. Luckily their western style bed had fallen straight down when the frame shattered, and the mattress was more or less in one piece. He reached over with a practiced hand to the end table which had miraculously survived all the damage with barely a scratch on it, and grabbed a hair tie, handing it to his wife.

"Sakura, we need to get her moved to the Tower. Can you please help me get Temari ready to travel? Cat, please alert the Hokage-sama that we are on the way." The ANBU leader nodded assent and disappeared through the opening. Shikamaru sighed and turned to his wife, who was struggling with pulling her hair in a ponytail due to her wrapped hands. He pulled the tie out of her hand and gently gathered her golden hair back and secured it. He softly ran his hands down her cheeks and kissed her forehead as Temari held onto his wrists in a loose grip. She usually shied away from displays of affection around others, choosing to tease him and argue, so this further cemented in Shikamaru's mind the gravity of the situation.

Temari then seemed to realize that Sakura was in front of her, and immediately blushed and looked down at her lap. "Sakura, I'm so sorry to pull you away from your family. I'm fine. I'm sure this is nothing that another medi-nin can't handle." She looked up into the green eyes that held her teal ones with a concerned and calculating gaze. "Seriously, Temari? You are halfway through your pregnancy. I am your _doctor_. This is my _job_! Sasuke is home right now, he is watching Sarada. You need me and I'm here to help you. Now let's get you dressed and to the Hokage and figure out what the hell is going on. And DO NOT argue with me!" she snapped as Temari opened her mouth to protest.

"Well, crybaby, looks like it's about to be 'Bring your spouse to work day' so I guess let's do this." Temari slowly started to get out of bed with Shikamaru immediately leaping to her side to assist. She allowed him to help her into their closet to change into a clean yakata and cover up the seals, taking her old sand shinobi headband and covering the one on her forehead as best she could. She absently stroked her growing belly as the baby inside caused butterflies to alight her insides. "Let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

_Gaara dreamed. Sleep often still eluded him after years of self-imposed deprivation and psychosis, and was often riddled by broken nightmares created mostly from half remembered memories of horrors witnessed and committed. Even after some time had passed since he was left as the sole inhabitant of his body, he usually only averaged two to three hours of broken sleep at any given time. Night was often when the sins of the past called out the strongest for acknowledgment. Tonight, however, he found himself rapidly pulled down into the undertow of slumber in a distinctive way rarely experienced. Deep and comforting, filled with light and love._

_He dreamed of being a young child, sitting in his kitchen with his family, eagerly awaiting the visit of a cherished friend. This was a rare treat, the deja vu permeating the scene in front of him, a feeling he had been here before. It was warm and bright as he gazed at everyone sitting at a heavy wooden table. He studied the face of his father, his uncle, his big brother and sister. His eyes finally lingered on the features of his mother, Karura. She was so beautiful, so kind and loving, her gaze soft as she also glanced at each member of her family in turn. Her visage of cheerfulness was a sight to behold, and a not unpleasant ache bloomed in his chest of something long forgotten. He noticed that she seemed to be studying everything and everyone in the room, like she had not seen them for some time. Her scrutiny remained on Temari for a couple of heartbeats, then her eyes suddenly swung to his and locked on with a feverish intensity. He felt something shift then, and everything changed._

_The room and his family faded as his dreaming self allowed his mother to dominate his vision. Her eyes hardened into a look of steely determination which he belatedly recognized as one his sister often wore. Her hand reached out to grasp his firmly, with an unspoken warmth and strength. He looked down as he clasped his fingers within hers, then back up as she began to speak._

"_Gaara, my sweet boy. I'm so very proud of you. You are so strong, and loving, and I'm so very sorry that I wasn't here for you." Tears filled her eyes. "You have been through so much. I am glad to see that you have found some peace in your heart." She took her other hand and wiped her face, then gently touched his cheek._

"_I am here today because I need your help. I need you to find Chiyo's notes about the Sabaku rituals. This is very important and you need to remember, Gaara. This needs to be done soon at the oasis sand temple. There needs to be four, and the two, and you must be there as a link. Gaara. Your sister and NEPHEW need you."_

_Karura smiled at her son as the dream started to fade, her warmth pulling away. "Gaara, find those notes. It must be controlled and channeled. Too much power because of the joining of two strong souls, almost too strong…Remember, you need four, and two, and you. Go find them now, she will be calling on you soon and you need to be ready."_

Gaara jerked awake with a gasp, his sand swirling protectively at the edge of his bed in agitation. He sent a tendril to his desk to gather a pen and paper as he feverishly wrote down all he could remember from the dream (or was it a vision?). Then he sighed and began to dress for the day, knowing where his destination would be. He only hoped that Chiyo's extensive records remained intact in the library or her labs after so much time.

As he walked down the quiet corridor to the Kazekage libraries and record rooms, Gaara wondered if the dream indicated truth and that he was going to be an uncle to a nephew, since Temari and Shikamaru had decided to not find out the sex of their baby until he or she was born. The idea of being an uncle warmed him as he strolled down the hall. He would of course do everything in his power to protect his sister and her family. He could do no less for his precious people, one of the many lessons he learned from Naruto and his siblings. He mused on how much had changed since he was an angry and scared six year old to now, finding strength in connections instead of weakness.

A rare smile graced Gaara's features as he thought of his sister, pregnant and probably very annoyed at the whole process at this stage. He had not seen Temari in a couple months, before she was showing. She was probably a terror, as she didn't like to show weakness of any kind or have control removed from her grasp, something that carrying a child did to every woman very effectively. Shikamaru might be the only person in the world who could deal with his firebrand of a sister, especially when she was out of her comfort zone. He chuckled quietly as he pictured Shikamaru rolling his eyes and mumbling 'troublesome woman.'

He started to review the dream in his mind and his smirk slipped from his face. It seemed to indicate something was starting to go wrong with the pregnancy, and that was common in the Sabaku line. A vague sense of worry hastened his steps to the library as he idly wondered if the dream was accurate and if so when he would hear from his sister. He had a strange feeling it would be very soon.

* * *

The walk to the tower was….nice. It was still only a short time since the storm had abated, near sunset, her favorite time of day. The shops were closing for the night and people were heading home or to the bars from their jobs, and the normal evening crowds were light. The ANBU flanked them unseen on all sides as they ambled through the town. Temari glanced sidelong at her husband, the assistant to the Hokage, and felt a rush of pride and affection. She was suddenly swept into memories of all the times he escorted her when she would come to Konoha from Suna on official business, meeting her at the gate and walking, barely brushing shoulders, through the waking village. She recalled how much he would grumble about being awake so early, but never failed to be there before she arrived, even if she tried to beat him to the rendezvous site. She remembered their Chunin exam competition with each other, the first time he garnered her acknowledgment and attention and indicated what a brilliant strategist he would grow up to be. It all seemed like yesterday and a lifetime ago.

The baby made a roiling movement that sent a spasm through Temari's lower abdomen, and she grimaced without registering what she doing, but nothing escaped the watch of a worried husband. "Tem, are you ok? We are almost there." Temari just shook her head and doubled her pace.

Before long they were standing in front of the tower. Taking the stairs seemed like an unusual torture as Temari's body started to ache and sting from the previous abuse of that morning, tinged with an underlying current of something else that she could not get a handle on. A tenuous grasping feel, almost as if her baby was pulling on her chakra, which should be impossible with the three seals in place. The feeling was very foreign, a crawling sensation over which she had no control or label. She would be relieved when she could find out just what the hell was going on. Unbidden, Temari's thoughts went to her own mother. Was this something she had experienced? She had the sudden urge to speak to her desperately, a strange desire that she had not had in many years.

* * *

They heard a voice yell to enter before they even got a chance to knock. Shikamaru opened the large wooden door with practiced ease, to release a cacophony of noise from within the Hokage's inner sanctum, mostly courtesy of Naruto and Sakura. Kakashi and Hinata were looking on with barely concealed amusement and resignation.

"You did NOT! Seriously?!"

"What's the problem? Teme was already watching Sarada so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal to add Boruto! Besides, I left some clones to help."

"But they are both so little and he only has one arm! How is he supposed to...wait. Clones? As in plural?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well yeah. I know he gets mad so I figured I would need more than one. He's already gone through two-" Naruto winced- "three of them already. Luckily I made some spares and stationed them outside, just in case! All because we woke them up when we brought Boruto over..."

Sakura reached over and bopped Naruto on the head. "I love you both but I think for the safety of all of Konoha, we should probably hurry this up. He is already cranky and sleep deprived, you always have to poke the bear." She shook her head and giggled under her breath. "Hope the house is still standing when I get home, won't be my fault this time..."

Hinata let out a long-suffering sigh from where she stood next to Kakashi, as they resumed pushing his desk back against the wall, leaving the floor open. "I know how last minute this all was, Sakura. Please let Sasuke know that I will bring him some treats tomorrow to make up for imposing on him with such little notice. Our tomatoes are finally ripe enough to pick." She looked over at Naruto who was muttering "bastard" under his breath and rubbing his nose, presumably from where another clone had met an untimely end.

Kakashi looked on fondly at his previous students. A smile found its way onto his face, barely discernible beneath the mask. He stood up and removed his robes and hat and walked over to where the new group was standing to hang them on a hook hidden by the door. He motioned to the ANBU, and they dispersed to guard outside the door, closing it gently behind them.

Temari faced Kakashi, her chin held high. "I'm so sorry to be such a disturbance, Hokage-sama. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

"Please, Temari, we are all friends here. No honorifics! Call me Kakashi. Sakura filled me in a little on the interesting day you've been having." Kakashi glanced over and nodded to Shikamaru, then motioned to the back of the room. The air shimmered, and a masked ANBU stepped out of the shadows and removed his mask. "You all remember Yamato. He just so happened to be working his shift as my personal guard today so this worked out as well as it could, honestly."

Yamato stepped forward and invited Temari to step into the center of the room. "How many tags did they put on you? We need to remove them before we start the assessment so I can see what I'm working with to seal you most effectively. I might be able to do a simple seal here in the office but if it is too complicated we may have to go down to the sealing chamber. I have my supplies in the desk. Hinata? Naruto? I need you both to help me look at her chakra networks and output while I prepare the seal design. Whenever you both are ready." Yamato walked over to the upper drawer of the desk and pulled out a scroll that he activated, revealing his sealing supplies.

Naruto grinned and initiated sage mode while Hinata activated her byakugan. Temari reached up and removed her hitai-ate to reveal the first of the three seals, and then turned toward her husband. "Like a bandage, please." Shikamaru nodded once, smiled at his wife, and ripped the first seal off. She immediately reached up to rub her forehead and glared at him. Shikamaru smirked. "Really Tem? Well if you didn't like that, you are REALLY not going to like this!" Shikamaru deftly reached between the folds of her yukata and dislodged the second tag across her chest.

"Holy ouch, warn a girl next time!"

"One more to go, Temari." Shikamaru decided to be kind now, and gently turned his wife away from the group of people. He moved up the obi and separated the lower portion of the yukata to reveal Temari's burgeoning belly, then gently tugged the last seal loose. His hand stayed for a moment savoring the feel of the soft skin, and was rewarded by a gentle movement of their child within. He could have stayed that way forever, basking in the love and connection with his growing family.

"Temari. How do you feel right now?" Hinata's voice was calm, but strained. Shikamaru glanced over his wife's shoulder, and noticed that the Hyuga was moving closer, eyes continually moving from head to torso and back again. Even more concerning was the look of concentration on Naruto's face as Kurama's power seemed to swell and surround him more fully.

Temari slowly turned back toward the group of people while pulling her yukata closed and readjusting the sash. "I can feel the chakra moving back through my body. It does seem like it is more concentrated than usual near the baby though…" She touched her stomach gently, and noticed the area seemed more tender and warm than a moment ago. "Shika, touch my skin again, does it feel warm?" Shikamaru reached back out with his hand to check, only to start when Hinata screamed "don't touch her!"

A shadowy tendril arced from Shikamaru's hand, to be met by a turquoise one coming from Temari's abdomen. The connection between the two chakras suddenly seemed to flare to life, twining together and seeming to grow by the second. The magnetic pull of the unstable chakra almost yanked Shikamaru off his feet as he found himself tethered to his wife. He met her eyes just in time to see a look of terror fill them, mirrored by his own. Temari's body then erupted in aqua flames, and she arched back violently, screaming in pain. Shikamaru could not break free and panicked as he felt the draining sensation of his chakra being forcefully removed. He distantly heard yelling behind him but could only make out part of what was being said.

"...chakra coils will blow out!"

"It is not following the channels!"

"...around the baby! Strongest! We need to-"

"someone pull him-"

"-too hot! She could die!"

"DO SOMETHING!"

The next thing Shikamaru knew, he was being propelled backward as one of Kurama's tails encircled his waist and yanked. Chakra exhaustion enveloped him, and he blearily looked on as his wife writhed and screamed until the darkness took him.

* * *

Temari had experienced pain before. She was a kunoichi, one of the most accomplished wind style users in the world, and was the Demon of the Sand's big sister. She had experienced her share of injuries and damage. Nothing had prepared her for this, however.

It was as if every cell, every nerve had decided to ignite in her body at the same time. The moment Shikamaru had reached for her, her chakra point closest to her womb seemed to explode outward, rushing through her body and grasping for anything and everything. It latched on to the chakra of her husband with no warning, and no matter what she did, she could not regain control. It was if her own body was possessed, and the only thing that could bring any measure of relief was the blending of her chakra with her husband's. The brief time they were joined, clarity began to return enough that she actively tried to tamp down her output, to no avail. The moment his touch was removed from her, she felt an irrational anger and desire to destroy. She could feel his chakra exhaustion, and the moment he lost consciousness, all rational thought left her. Nothing could stop her. No one would take her family from her. Ever. Again.

The moment the thought of protecting her family flitted across her mind, the pain in her body abruptly stopped. She felt in control of the power coursing through her body. She knew who her enemy was. The creature that stole her mate, the ancient one, the fox. It must be stopped. Temari stood up and turned teal glittering eyes towards Naruto and the others gathered on the far side of the room near the desk as raw power crackled along her body. Her chakra began to gather, along with the distinctive shadows that she had collected, and she began to stalk towards them like a panther.

* * *

Hinata had never seen anything like it. The minute the last seal was removed, the chakra did not start flowing through the channels as normal, but seemed to wait in place, frozen. The small flame of chakra that signified Temari and Shikamaru's child started to pulse, sending ripples throughout the pathways. The moment they came close, the chakra broke through the established lines like a wave and reached out, ensnaring and pulling Shikamaru's chakra from his body at an alarming rate. The main center of the activity seemed not to originate from Temari, but from the fetus. It was enclosed with a swirling torrent of turquoise and black chakra, ever-moving.

The moment Shikamaru was removed from the connection, it seemed to Hinata that a shockwave rocked throughout the entire body of Temari and the fetus. The child jerked as if injured, and Temari's main network flared to life, overwhelming the swirl and obscuring it from the byakugan's sight. Hinata was so stunned by this turn of events that she missed the very real threat moving towards her with lethal intent until it was almost too late.

Temari was no longer in control of any of her actions. All she knew was pain and power and utter rage. An aura of blue fire surrounded her body, leaping and dancing and leaving burning footprints in her wake. Her sights were set on the yellow glowing being in front of her. She could see nothing else.

"Temari, you need to stop. You need to control yourself."

"She's not stopping…."

"Sakura, can you do anythin - HOLY SHIT!"

Kurama's power flared to life and created a shield around the people in the room as power ricocheted from Temari's outstretched hands straight into Naruto, deflecting the blast up and over their heads, shattering the windows behind them. Temari growled and stepped closer, gathering power again. The doors behind her burst open and she swung a hand negligently behind her, blowing the doors off their hinges and throwing the ANBU back out into the hallway. The bookcases burst into flame and the Hokage's desk was flipped violently on its side. Five stunned faces stared at her, unbelieving.

Temari's eyes were drawn down to her unconscious husband, and swirling chaos filled her mind, blocking out everything else. Muttering under her breath, she began to weave the two kinds of chakra into a ninjutsu she knew very well.

"_Wind Release: Casting Net!"_

Slices of wind and shadow ripped through the room like a hurricane, leaving nothing untouched. Naruto was forced to double the strength of the shield, as shards of wood, glass, and metal flew through the air like lethal missiles. Temari didn't flinch as splinters blew back from the shield and struck her arms and legs, eyes glowing with madness and determination. As the assault ebbed, the fire momentarily lapsed and pulled back into her body.

Kakashi was an opportunist, and when he saw the opening he did not falter. Performing lightning fast hand-signs, he teleported behind Temari. Kakashi immediately signed through one of the strongest sleep jutsus he knew and touched the back of her neck. She crumpled like a puppet whose strings had been cut, unconscious. He gently knelt and lifted her up, cradling her head against his chest.

"Yamato, I think we are going to need to go downstairs to the sealing room after all."


	3. Chapter 3

Pain. Flickering light. Dripping. Voices. Temari slowly shook off the lethargy of sleep to crack an eye open. It was dark and cold where she was, and it seemed like she was lying prone on the ground. Was she in a cave? An underground hiding place such as the ones found in Sound? What was going on?

She started shifting while trying to mentally grasp her surroundings. It looked like she was on the floor of...a summoning circle? Reflexively she shifted, only to discover she could not move her arms. Glancing down, she was alarmed to notice that there were shackles on her wrist. Panic gripped her throat as she tried to sit up.

"Nuh-uh, little firecracker, it's too soon for you to be awake. Sleep." The voice cut through her fear, a cold touch on her neck, and Temari knew no more.

* * *

_She was in the field of battle, but it was very different this time, sun breaking through the clouds. The valley was empty and only the memories swirled through the land, although it was far from silent. The wind whistled through the cliffs, bringing sounds of turmoil, screams of pain, and the distinct beacon of different jutsus being cast and hitting their target or being reflected. Temari felt drawn to the cacophony, and before she realized it she was walking slowly to the edge. Suddenly the sky erupted. She watched, stunned, as fire tripped across the air and lightning struck the ground a few feet away from her, knocking her from her feet and temporarily deafening her. When she recovered, she noticed an arena in the strike zone. It looked familiar and her feet were again moving toward it without her consent or knowledge._

_She blinked, and was inside the arena. Her husband stood before her, young and dressed the same as she remembered when she met him at the infamous exams that preceded the Crush. He was speaking to her, but she could not hear him. Instead her eyes were drawn to a woman standing near the wall. Someone she knew, but had not seen in a long time._

"_Mother….? What are you doing here?" She stammered like she was a young child in trouble._

"_My darling Temari, I'm so very proud of you. You have become such a beautiful, brilliant, fierce kunoichi and I know that this trial will only make you and your relationships stronger." She quietly walked around her only daughter, and Temari struggled to follow her, hesitant to let her out of her sight even for an instant. She was as stunning as she remembered, young and strong._

"_Mother, what is happening to me? Are we in danger?"_

_Temari's head was spinning. Something that her line had to do whenever a child was coming? How had she never heard of such a thing? She opened her mouth to ask all the questions when her mother jerked her head up, capturing her daughter's gaze with her own. "Go. Now. You don't have much time. Gaara knows and will make sure you have your help. I love you, Temari. You can do this."_

Temari jerked awake, confused and disoriented. Her vision was blurry, filled with shades of gray. The first thing she noticed was a comforting warmth all along her left side. She shifted her head slightly down to see black, black hair and dark skin, a scarred hand clasping her own. Her heart immediately clenched with love and an overwhelming sense of relief. Her Shikamaru was here, he was alive, he was safe, she had not...injured him, hurt him too badly. She sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head back.

Her teal eyes snapped open to meet onyx ones. Shikamaru studied his wife intently, looking for something and seeming to find it as his gaze softened and he gently smiled. "Hey Tem, how are you feeling?"

Temari groaned to sit up, refusing to relinquish the hold on her husband's hand. "Tired and annoyed and fucking confused. I have spent entirely too much time being unconscious the last few days, it's a bit troublesome." Shikamaru snorted. "Yep, that's my girl, troublesome." He bent down closer to her and whispered, "and I wouldn't have it any other way." He gently kissed her, softly and with loving reverence that quickly progressed into a deeper, more passionate embrace, the stress of the last few days melting away in each other. Intimate touches and warmth suffused her being, making all the worries disappear as they lost themselves. A throat clearing caused them to start away from each other guiltily, only to be greeted by the ridiculous sunshine grin of Naruto.

"Hey lovebirds, Kakashi-Sensei is on his way and he has a plan to fix your crazy ass!" He laughed and dodged the pillow thrown at his head and gleefully ducked out of the room.

Temari mentally shook herself, trying to take proper stock of her surroundings now that she was fully awake and not being kissed senseless by her sexy husband...stay on target, guests coming, clothes good. She belatedly realized she was in a hospital room and it was near dawn, the sunrise just now trying to alight the gray of the room. She was wearing a stupid hospital gown instead of her normal clothing and her hair was a wild cloud of tangled blonde falling down her back. She sighed and looked around, spotting what might be a bag of clothing and a potential bathroom.

Temari slowly untangled herself from the thin blankets and sheets with no help whatsoever from her uncharacteristically grinning husband, who was doing everything in his power to thwart her escape. She finally had to knock him backwards with a palm strike, and ducked and moved as he tried to wrest back control with his shadows, slipping into the bathroom while giggling. She hadn't felt this free and playful in...forever, really. It was nice, and a little bit disconcerting, as just hours ago she apparently tried to destroy half of the Hokage tower. The bond to him felt stronger than ever, and she really wanted to explore that, but unfortunately now was not the time.

Teal eyes studied her reflection in the mirror. Pale. Tired. Hair absolutely crazy. Temari reached into her bag for her yukata and leggings while pulling a brush roughly through her mane. After beating it into submission and tying it into pigtails, she pulled the gown over her body, only to stop dead in shock at what her reflection revealed. A large, intricate seal centered on the swell of her abdomen, snaking with tendrils up over both shoulders and down past her hips. She turned to glance at her back and noticed that the script from the tendrils seemed to join each other, creating a single unbroken design across her body. It looked like a four point seal, which, although not as strong as some such as the one Naruto used to possess for Kurama, was very potent and far above what was usually utilized in situations like this. Temari immediately began worrying about the safety of her child and herself. What was going on? She thought about her strange dream. Could it be true? Was this all from her family line? Why did no one ever tell them? She supposed with the loss of her parents, the fact that Gaara was a jinchuriki and later the Kazekage and everything they went through to get to where they were today, it fell by the wayside. She mused about what other important things about her family she didn't know about…

Temari felt the crackling strong chakra signature of Kakashi approaching, and quickly pulled on her yukata, tying the sash as he walked in the room. Kakashi looked up from his conversation with Shikamaru, and his exposed eyes crinkled with a smile. "I spoke with your brother and apparently whatever is going on with you," he gestured to all of her, "can be fixed but we need to do it now." Startled, Temari looked over at her husband, who seemed to be scrutinizing the Hokage closely, as he shifted to stand near his wife. "And what exactly is going on with her? Is it something that will hurt her of the baby to fix, because I'm not going to put either of them at risk."

Naruto slid back into the room and stepped in front of Temari and Shikamaru. "I spoke with Gaara and he said something about a ritual that had to be performed but it was important to do it soon. It does involve seals and barriers and someone there to help and he apparently has to do something too, it was super technical and I got a little confused so he just told me that you guys are to take the Thunder Train tonight and he will meet you and take you to his house and go over it all." He bounced out of the way as Kakashi shook his head and stepped in his place. "Naruto got most of it. The ritual requires a 4 way barrier so I am sending Iruka Umino and Sai with you. Tenzo cannot go because he is on my personal guard and is a little worn down from earlier. Iruka-Sensei has been working in seals and barriers for years as you probably know and we need Sai's art skills to complete the barrier loop. The Kazekage has two of his own seal experts on alert." He smiled again and then turned to Shikamaru. "You are on family leave until this is resolved. Your train leaves tonight, the tickets are at your home. I highly recommend you both get out of here and get some rest. From what Gaara-sama was explaining to me, this is not going to be an easy process, so you would do well to not go in exhausted. We are treating this as a mission, so I do want a report when you return so we can put it in the archives. Now go home, both of you."

Temari's head was dizzy with the implications. Not only did she have a massive seal on her body, but she had to have a ritual done that she knew nothing about, and seemed to originate from Suna. The fact that she had a dream where her own mother had told her this information was not lost on her, and made her head swim from the feeling of deja vu. Her hands rested on her swelling belly, and her fingers tingled as they crossed over the seal placed there. Was her baby going to be alright? What was all of this doing to him or her?

As usual, her husband sensed her spiraling anxiety and distress. "Let's go get ready. I could use a vacation anyway." He gently took her hand in his, kissing her fingers lightly, causing her to blush. Shikamaru was rarely this affectionate in public and she was caught off guard, so when he picked up her bag and pulled her towards the door, she could only follow, the indulgent smiles on the faces of the men in the room missed as all she knew was her hand in his.

* * *

"I'm bored."

Shikamaru turned his head towards his wife and regarded her calmly. "Why don't you just rest? Sleep? Just do nothing for once. You should try it, it's glorious."

Temari snorted. "Oh I know. If you had your way it would be mandatory nap time daily. But you know damn well that I don't idle well and if you let me just sit here this whole trip I'm going to flip my shit and break stuff so you'd better entertain me." She gave him her fiercest stink eye. "Pay attention to me!" Shikamaru, who had been admirably holding back his smirk, broke out in a loud laugh.

The Thunder Train, one of the most amazing marvels of peacemaking and treaties between the Hidden Villages, was silently rocketing the couple towards their destination in mere hours instead of the three to five day walk from even a few years ago. Temari was very grateful, even though she sometimes missed the camaraderie and almost meditative time the long journey afforded her. She missed her brothers more than she ever expected to, and was excited to see them both, even though the situation wasn't ideal. But at least she could see them sooner than she had expected to, even though she was sneaking in to her homeland under the cover of darkness.

Temari stood up and wandered the cabin. Sai and Iruka were on the other side, and she felt the muffled signature of the ANBU that the Hokage had insisted accompany them, as Shikamaru was his advisor and Iruka was head of Konoha education. She looked out the window and caught her own reflection in the glass, outlined by the black of night. A wan, tired visage greeted her scrutiny. She leaned her face against the glass and looked up at the night sky, studying the stars and moon.

"Smokes and sake? You know I do!" Temari smirked and yanked the bag out from under his feet, flipping him back in the chair. "Hey hellcat, settle down!" He reached for her, only to be shoved aside as she bodily searched the bag. Her blonde head emerged victorious with a Shogi game and another strategy game under one arm, and a handful of sweets in her hand. "You are the best husband ever, I don't care what the other girls say about you! Now let's play so I can kick your ass!" Shikamaru rolled his eyes and started setting up the board, swiping a sweet out of Temari's hand, earning a startled yelp and a slap.

Three games and two losses later, the announcement for Suna sounded and Temari was hit with a wave of anxiety. It was a few hours before dawn, and the excitement of the last few days was starting to give way to a bone deep exhaustion. She was hopeful her brother had found a solution to her issues. It was time to see her family and also find out what secrets her ancestors had taken to the grave and why.

* * *

"Kazekage-sama." As usual, first out the train was Iruka, and as usual, his respect and mannerisms were impeccable. "Thank you for all of your assistance with this issue and your hospitality." Gaara, ever the quiet and stoic man that he was, nodded to Iruka politely. "It is my pleasure and honor to assist, as well as my duty to my family. Thank you for being willing to help my sister." Iruka looked startled, as if the option of not helping was ever a consideration, which it probably wasn't. Gaara looked speculatively at Iruka, then Sai. "I understand you are quite the seal expert, Iruka-sensei, and of course your art skills are well known throughout the lands, Sai. I would like you all to come with me to the residence and I want you two to meet with my two seal experts tomorrow and we will show you what we are dealing with." Iruka and Sai bowed, and stepped to the side, as Gaara's eyes swung to his sister.

"Temari." Temari could not help her eyes drinking in the face of her little brother. It had been some months since she had seen him, and it seemed as if he had grown two inches and put on muscle. She knew that now he was allowed to sleep, his body was catching up from years of stunted growth and healing both inside and out, mentally and physically. He still looked tired, but he had better color and the rings around his seafoam eyes weren't as deep.

"Little brother, it is so wonderful to see you. I missed you. I wanted to see you before the baby was born, but I guess I went a little too far with coming up with a good reason." A tiny smirk graced Gaara's face before he crossed his arms and looked at her. "Yes, I would expect something like this from Kankuro, but not you." Temari gasped in mock horror at his words and grinned while taking two steps into her brother's space. "You will give me a hug and you will like it." Gaara obligingly opened his arms and Temari stepped in, wrapping her arms all the way around his shoulders, as he returned the hug hesitantly. "Speaking of, where is that asshole?"

Gaara released her but held on to her forearm, which oddly touched Temari. "He is home, with our guest. There is much we must discuss, but I think a few hours of rest would do well for everyone before I go over what I have discovered. Please, follow me." Gaara then released her arm and stepped over to Shikamaru, who had been standing back during the greetings. "Nara, it is good to see you. My sister looks very happy and for that I am eternally grateful. We will make sure your family is safe and protected, nothing will happen to anyone here while under my protection." Shikamaru looked taken aback by the kind words from his brother-in-law, and could only nod and smile. Gaara returned the nod and turned to take them to the Kazekage residence.


	4. Chapter 4

The Suna morning dawned bright and hot. The entourage from Konoha, coming in so late, slept right through it. It was only well after noontime, when the people had left the streets for their downtime indoors in the coolness only to return in the late afternoon, did the two lovers stir from their embrace. The Kazekage residence was home to all the Sand Siblings, or had been until Temari had moved to Konoha. Whether in a sentimental or lazy mood, Gaara had not gotten around to disassembling her room to make way for another guest suite, so Shikamaru and Temari found themselves in Temari's old room, which held so many memories for the couple. Sneaking in to see each other was commonplace for many years, and eventually expected as news of their relationship became public.

Temari grasped up to wakefulness like she did most other things these days-slowly and with great annoyance. She desperately wanted to keep sleeping with her husband's warm chest against her naked skin and his hand delicately resting on her breast, sending tingles through her system as it skated across the seal. Unfortunately, their child had decided that rest time was over and forcing the knowledge of other things that needed to be taken care of, immediately. Temari sighed, and shimmied out of the loving grip to use the toilet. She washed her hands and hurried back out to slip back under the covers, where she met the bleary but appreciative gaze of her Shikamaru.

"Aww, I was hoping I wouldn't wake you! I'm not ready to deal with any of this yet!" Temari grimaced, then softened, sweeping the tendrils of hair out of her husband's face. "I love when you let your hair down, you are so handsome." She kissed him on his forehead, flipped back over, grabbed his hand, and placed it on her burgeoning belly. The baby was very active and she could feel Shikamaru smiled gently against her back. "You are in a lovey mood this morning, are you happy to be home?"

"I am, and thrilled to see my brothers, but not exactly excited to see what the heck my parents left me as my gene pool reward." Shikamaru snorted. "I just hope Gaara was able to find some answers, especially with Chiyo gone. I just want our baby to be OK." The anxiety was building in her stomach as she dwelled on everything that had happened the last few days and as she started to tear up, she felt two strong arms wrap tightly around her, legs tangling with hers.

"You are not alone. You are never alone. We will figure this out together. I love you, and I will use everything in my power to protect you and our child."

Shikamaru pulled Temari to her back and leaned over her. "Nothing will happen to you two. You have my word." Silent tears traced down her face as she reached up, grasped her wonderful husband's face, and dragged him into a searing kiss. Covers and sleep were soon forgotten as the two lost themselves in each other.

* * *

Early evening found everyone in the main living room of the Kazekage mansion. Because of Suna's climate, most work was done either in the early morning or evening and night hours, and it wasn't unheard of for entire industries to work the overnight shift due to the more comfortable conditions. The sun was tracking westward as the Suna Siblings and the Konoha group joined up for a meal. Gaara had sent word to Temari to meet afterwards in the library on the second floor, and to be prepared for a long night.

The Suna and Konoha groups danced around each other like a well oiled machine, preparing and serving a meal together. It brought back memories of the camaraderie of the war, and years of spending time with each other. Even Iruka and Sai, due to their closeness with Naruto, had spent many hours in the presence of the Sand Siblings, so it was a comfortable routine. They cleaned up after eating their fill, and, glancing at the stunning colors of a spectacular Suna sunset, turned as a group and headed for the library.

Gaara was already there, perusing through an ancient looking tome. He glanced up as everyone settled into the leather couches surrounding a central low table, and sat in the leather chair facing them all.

"I'm going to get right to the point. We don't have much time to fix this issue, and I have called for help that will be here tomorrow. This is a pretty unique situation, and her methods are….unusual, but I trust her."

"Wait, what?! You are calling in a stranger to fix me? I thought that is what you have been researching so you could be the one to do it!" Temari stood up suddenly, and just as quickly sat back down when she noticed the thunderous expression on her usually emotionless brother's face.

"I am fixing you. Do you think I would let anything happen to one of my most precious people? After everything our father did to this family? After everything he let continue that he should've stopped? After what he did to mother?" Temari gasped, as she realized quickly how out of her depth she was.

Shikamaru sighed, taking Temari's hand. "I think you better start from the beginning, Gaara. Tell us everything."

* * *

'_Sunakagure started out as the first permanent settlement for a number of nomadic families,' _Gaara began_. 'There are not clans in Suna, just families, and many of them are still nomadic. It is common for entire tribes to be found in any portion of our desert at any time. It is only with a major event and a lot of work that we are able to have representatives present themselves here. Because of this, we were traditionally divided and considered weak, and as the unrest built in the lands, a base was built in this canyon to meet at and perform war councils. Some families never left, and it grew into what it is today. A Kazekage was decided originally by the traditional methods, finding the strongest warrior and the strongest tribe. That family that produced the strongest warriors held tight to that honor, and the Kazekage title was passed down. It has pretty much stayed in one family the entire time. _

_The One-Tail was part of why the Kazekage family has been so strong, as was their use of Sand and Magnet release. To keep their power secure, not only did the Kazekage family have to provide the leader of the Village, and keep the tribes united, but another member of the family had to be strong enough to be the jinchuriki of the One-Tail. As you are aware, the Tanuki is strong and not very stable. He is angry and powerful. It takes a lot to control him, to keep him bound. A strong vessel must be utilized. Because of this, the Kazekage family practiced selective breeding, for lack of a better word. They actively sought out the most chakra rich and potentially powerful males and females to bring into the family, to make the line stronger. And because of the selective breeding, some interesting quirks have arisen. _

_We have ascertained that the chakra in the pregnant females of the Kazekage tribe has started almost acting as a protective device. Because of the nomadic nature of the past tribes, including the Kazekage tribe, it was not guaranteed that the pregnant females would be protected and kept at the best health, so the chakra had developed almost a fail safe to allow the females to protect themselves, allowing them to give birth and pass on the strong genes to either lead or carry the One-Tail. The problems with this protection became apparent as settlement occurred and daily risks lessened. The power did not burn out of the mother through everyday traveling and activities as it had in the past. It built up. Each successive generation saw it gather in strength, and as more powerful genes were added to the mix, it became a force of its own. The last few generations have had to seal it and attune it to the mother and father, at risk of death. It has become too powerful a force to allow it to stay unchecked in the mother._

_A pregnant female is vulnerable, but extremely powerful as well. The innate desire to protect her young, to do whatever it takes to bring new life into the world, is an extremely base instinct, and feeds the chakra mutation in the Kazekage line. Every Kazekage female in the last four generations has had to manage this power. Until the attunement rites are performed, the mother is incredibly dangerous and unstable. Potential leaders and jinchuriki have been lost because the rites were not done at the correct time or in the correct way. It has gotten easier in the last few years with the addition of Uzushio seals and the knowledge and research of Chiyo and others, as well as some of the nomadic shaman whose families were often used to bring into the Kazekage line due to their raw abilities. _

_Our mother had the rites done three times. She was in a unique position, expected to produce not only the next Kazekage, but the next jinchuriki as well, thus securing the future for our family. She was forced to bear multiple children in quick succession, and undergo the chakra flux and sealing as well in a short time period. She was an extremely strong shinobi, but her body eventually gave out. They waited too long to do the sealing with me, and it forced an early labor, me being born premature, and her death.'_

* * *

As Gaara's words trailed off, Temari just stared in horrified realization. Everything that had happened to her family, her mother, the visions, it all made sense. Except for one thing.

"Why does it seem so unmanageable now? Why is it so strong this time? It seems like it was relatively easy to contain in the past, as long as the rites are done timely. Why do I feel like I'm a bomb about to go off?"

Gaara gazed at Temari, and smiled fondly. He reached over and took her hand, startling her with his gentleness. "Temari, you are one of the most powerful wind users in Suna, perhaps the entire five nations. Your husband is of the Nara clan, and has surpassed some of his elders in both his shadow skill and his strategic intelligence, having little equal in our world when he sets his mind to something. Did you really think any child of your union would allow you to have an easy time of it? Have you MET our family?" Temari let out a shocked laugh.

"Well little brother, what is the plan then? How are we going to do this?"

Gaara looked up at everyone around him, everyone looking tense and concerned, yet determined to accomplish what was expected of them. "Iruka-san, Sai-san. My two seals experts are on their way from a mission. I want to meet with all four of you together when my guest arrives tomorrow. In the meantime, I ask if you can get barrier sealing paper from one of our stores locally and Sai, you will need your paints, the chakra infused ones. After you are done, please look through this book, especially the marked pages," he said while handing Iruka a leather bound tome. "We are making a large barrier so be aware that it will take much to cast. If you would be so kind to wait for my brother, he is on his way for you both. I need to speak to my sister and her husband alone." Iruka and Sai stood up, and bowed to Gaara. "Of course, Kazekage-sama. We will wait outside for him. They both nodded at Temari and Shikamaru, and left the room.

The minute the door closed, Temari wheeled on her brother. "OK, what is the plan? And who is this person that you are having come help us? I can think of literally no one that has this skill set since Grandma Chiyo died, so have you been holding out on me? What have you been up to, Kazekage-sama?" Gaara winced and hissed, "Don't call me that! You know I hate when you do that!" Temari smirked, then sobered up at the pensive look on her brother's face. "Seriously, who did you find to help us?"

"Maybe I can be of help with that question," a heavily accented voice stated from the door. Temari and Shikamaru spun toward the sound. Greeting their vision was a tall woman, cloaked in a dusty sand-colored hooded travel cloak, features mostly in shadow in the darkness of the library. She looked into the eyes of Gaara first, smiled widely, and swept past the stunned couple as she embraced the Kazekage deeply, familiarly, like they were best friends or lovers. More startling, however, was the genuine adoring smile that graced the man's face, as he gently held her hand in his. "I've missed you, my friend. How is my _hime_?" Only then did Gaara remember that he was not alone with his friend, and a soft blush colored his cheeks ever so slightly. "Oh, I'm so sorry, forgive my rudeness, this is my sister Temari and her husband Shikamaru. Thank you again for coming to help us. I need your knowledge and expertise."

Temari looked between her brother and this woman she had never met. So many questions immediately sprung to mind, but before she could open her mouth, the woman lowered her hood, and her voice left her. Standing in front of her was one of the most beautiful women Temari had seen in her entire life. Her skin was like polished ebony, with deceptively delicate features, a defined and determined jaw, soft generous lips, and a button nose. Her hair was as black as night with hints of red in the firelight, and woven throughout were feathers and beads, as well as what looked like a sand hourglass. Her eyes, however, were what stole the air from her very lungs. The lightest hazel, almost yellow, with an inner glow, darkly intelligent and cunning. The lids were painted above and below in a light paint that also dotted her forehead and chin. The eyes assessed everything and anything and never stopped moving over the room and the people in it until something seemed to be satisfied, and then returned to Temari.

"So you are the sister of Gaara-kun? You are beautiful and strong, and a warrior. I expected nothing less from what he has told me of you." She then looked to Shikamaru. "You have also become much in your life, partner of Temari. You have the eyes of a falcon. You see much."

Temari's eyebrows rose at the familiar tone this person took in the addressing of her brother. "I apologize. My brother has never mentioned you. It is nice to meet you…."

"My name is very hard to pronounce in your language, but it would amuse me if you call me Kai."

Kai. An interesting choice. Depending on how it was written, the word could mean many things. Release. Change. Solution. Wonder. Someone seemed to have a high opinion of herself, Temari thought and smirked, then realized she was still being observed. Blushing dully, she turned away from the strange woman and looked at her brother. "How did you meet each other? And why have I never heard of Kai, Gaara?"

Gaara looked distinctly uncomfortable under his sister's scrutinizing gaze and looked between her and Shikamaru at the fireplace. "I have known Kai-hime for many, many years. After the Chunin exams, I really struggled with a lot, as you know." His aqua gaze locked onto his sister's teal one. "I still fought with the blood lust and how everyone looked at me, and it was very tiring to hold back the Chibi everyday. He did not like the sudden changes in how I acted around people and became very loud and often challenged me for control. I would walk the desert almost every night to try to calm my mind. I would chase the sandstorms and explore the land, and that is when I mapped most of the oasis areas around the village. I met Kai before I became Kazekage. I was very far out in the desert one night as Shukaku was in a rage during a full moon. I came upon a new oasis and Kai was there, by herself. Her tribe was elsewhere and she was fighting a group of missing-nin. She asked for my help and I gave it." Gaara then glanced at Kai, then looked down. There was obviously more to the story that he was not saying, but before Temari had decided fully to harass him about it later, Kai took up the story from there.

"I was out gathering water for my people and the dishonorable ones decided that a single pregnant woman was an easy target." Temari started at this revelation as Kai continued, "The warriors-without-a-tribe fought well but were no match for me until they used their dishonor to their advantage. They flanked me and one cast a chakra vine that broke through my protections and wrapped around my arms. While I was distracted, another one got through my defenses and gave me this." She completely removed her cloak, revealing a hide-skin half top and skirt over leggings, but also exposing a jagged scar from the underside of her rib cage all the way across her taut stomach to her opposite hip. It should have been a fatal wound, and it was obvious it was, just not to the wearer of the scar. Tears immediately sprung to Temari's eyes. To be by yourself, being attacked and so grievously wounded, knowing that the life you were carrying had been senselessly slaughtered….The life of a shinobi was tough, but this woman was not a shinobi.

She shook herself loose from her thoughts as she realized her brother had begun speaking again. "I came into the oasis, drawn by the smell of blood. There was Kai, and in the moonlight I could see blood just pouring like ink into the sand. Shukaku was excited by the carnage but all I noticed was that despite her injuries, she was still fighting, she would not stop. She reminded me of Naruto, and I suddenly could not stop myself from interfering. I could not allow someone like that to be taken from the world. I….killed them all. It was the first time I had killed since the exams, and the first time I did it for someone else of my own volition. It was the first time I had done it to protect another, not myself. When the missing-nin were dead, I also did something else I had never done before. I went to help her. She was still standing, despite everything, and to this day I still don't know how. She was not afraid of me like everyone else was, even after witnessing what I could do, and she allowed me to bandage her and bring her back to Sand to be healed. Kai ended up spending many months with me here in the village recovering, and we learned much about each other and our differing cultures in that time."

Gaara smiled softly over at Kai then as he continued, "we have spent much time with each other since then. She has helped me with my mind and I have learned quite a bit about her people and the other tribes that live in the Land of Wind. We have traveled together. Her people's ways are very different, and their relationship with chakra and jutsu is fascinating and unique. Grandma Chiyo thought so too, and Kai studied under her while she was healing and afterwards until….well, anyway, I think she can fix you, Temari. I trust her with my life." Temari just stared at her brother in shock. She could count on one hand the people Gaara trusted.

She looked away from her brother over to Kai, to find those glowing eyes on her, an inscrutable look swirling in their depths. Questions again rose in her mind of the nature of her brother's relationship with this odd woman. Before she could inquire, she felt the returning chakra signatures of the others. She turned towards the door as Kankuro came in, laughing with Iruka and Sai. Seeing Kai, he whooped. "Ah! I see the wayward shaman priestess princess pants returns! Hello, trouble! It's been a long time!" Kai laughed softly, then yelped as Kankuro picked her up and swung her around. "How's the tribe and how is the stupid Tail doing out there on his own? Is he behaving?"

"The Chibi is well, he likes to dig and destroy stuff, so we give him things to attack and do so he does not grow too bored. He is like a prairie dog, always tunneling."

Gaara interjected, "Kai is a shaman priestess of her tribe, a healer and protector of her people. Her tribe is nomadic but their territory is around where Shukaku settled so they watch out for him for me. He is able to protect himself, but there are those as we know who would like to harness his power, even in these days of peace, so it makes me feel better to know someone is watching out for him when I cannot." It still amazed Temari that after all this time and everything that the One-Tail had done to Gaara and his psyche, that he still cared so much for the beast and even admitted to missing his presence. This day just seemed to be getting stranger.

Now that everyone had returned, Kai stood up straighter. She walked back over to Gaara's side and looked him in the eyes, an unspoken conversation occurring in seconds between them. Then they turned to everyone else. Gaara spoke first, "Well since my guest has arrived so early, there is no time like the present to get started. Please, everyone sit, and let us go over the plan. It is time."

* * *

"I do not think your sister trusts me, Gaara. I think she might be under the impression that I have something over you. I probably shouldn't be amused by this, but I cannot help it. She is so protective of you, when you do not need it. Has she always been like that?"

It had been months since Gaara had spoken the tribal tongue, but he found it came back rapidly to him. After spending so much time with someone like her, he discovered that he missed her uniquely relaxed way of looking at things. It certainly put things in perspective and allowed him to investigate situations in a different light, and he appreciated being allowed to do that. "She and I had a tough relationship growing up. We had much time to make up for, and she has always tried to protect her little brothers, even back then."

The Konoha group was discussing the general plan that they had hashed out until the early hours of the morning, and everyone was growing tired. It was agreed upon to implement the attunement rites at sundown later today, after everyone had slept and the necessary components had been gathered. Kai was preparing to leave for the ritual site to rest and prepare herself for her part. Gaara walked her out to the front of the mansion, her deceptively gentle grip curled about his bicep. She smiled up into his eyes, startling him with her open expression, something rarely accomplished. "You may tell her all. You and I know why I am here. I will never let you down. You are most precious to me. I can never thank you for the life you gave back to me. I hope I can do the same for your sister." With that, she squeezed his arm and stepped away, then dissolved into mist and sand. Gaara just smirked and shook his head as he turned around, running right into his sister who had followed him downstairs.

"Oh the princess left? I'm sure I should be relieved that you found a veritable stranger to entrust my life and my baby's life to? What are you thinking, Gaara?! Do you really think you can trust someone like that? She is not a shinobi! She knows nothing about us or our family!"

He turned around to face her. "It is so odd that I cannot sense you at all. That seal is quite effective."

Temari would not be dissuaded. "Who is Kai to you? How can you so easily trust her? Why should I? This is my baby at risk, your niece or nephew. Is this person really someone I should be relying on? This is my life, Gaara, not an opportunity you can use to explore your lust!"

Gaara's eyes locked onto Temari's, and she immediately realized she had overstepped. In a cold voice not unlike that of his childhood persona or worse, their father, he growled flatly, "never speak of Kai that way to me again." Shamed, Temari dropped her eyes from her little brother, visibly startled when he hesitantly touched her arm after a few tense moments. She peeked through her lashes to see the coldness pushed back and a faraway look replacing it. He gently steered his sister to the foyer couch. "Kai and I have known each other almost as long as Shikamaru and you have. She was the daughter of the chieftain of her tribe, and was forcibly married and impregnated. We are the same age." Temari just gaped at her brother, stunned. That meant that when they met, she was pregnant and only…

"Yes. She had fled the other tribe and had met back up with hers. Her husband had her followed and decided to punish her entire family for her daring to leave him. Before she was attacked in the oasis that night, he made sure she had no family to return to." Gaara sighed, and shifted to sit next to his sister. "She wants to help you because I asked, but more than that, she is a romantic at heart. Your child was conceived because of love, not duty, not to be a tailed beast vessel or the next Kazekage. She wants to help our lands be linked as it benefits more than just the Hidden Villages. Kai and I agreed a long time ago to try to break the cycles of hatred, to balance power with our hearts. I know it may sound silly but she is one of my dearest friends, and you know that is hard for me. I think you will find she is a trustworthy and valuable ally indeed, Temari. I'm not going to let just anyone get remotely near my precious people, especially in a situation like this, without knowing their hearts. I know her heart, and she knows mine."

Temari cocked her head to the side and studied her brother. When had he gotten so wise, grown up so much? _The war has changed us all, _she mused, _and not necessarily in a bad way._

"OK, Gaara. I trust you, and I know your trust is not easily earned so for her to be so regarded by you is quite telling. But my other issue is, Kai is not a shinobi and this is a chakra problem. How can she help if she doesn't have trained chakra pathways and the jutsu or stamina to control what happens when the seal is removed? I do not want to hurt anyone, but I can't control what happens to me at this point at all."

At this question Gaara actually chuckled. "Kai is a shaman, and has been trained by Chiyo and some of the best holy people of all the tribes of Wind. Believe me when I say that you have nothing to worry about. There was a reason she was married off so young and sought out by other tribes. The shaman way is a powerful gift granted to only a few of her people, someone of great power and respect. Like I said before, their relationship with chakra is different than ours, but they also don't have the limitations to the pathways that we do. I'm not sure how it works exactly, but she definitely has everything she needs at her disposal in order to help you, that I have no doubt." Gaara squeezed her arm and stood up, pulling Temari to her feet and into a rare hug. "Go sleep. Tomorrow we fix this." He released her and stepped back, heading back to the front door. "I will see you tomorrow, and we will head to the temple at sunset." He tilted his lips up in a faint smile as he opened the door. "Meanwhile, get some rest. I'm not dealing with Nara being all crazy if you are more of a hot mess than usual tomorrow!" He quickly clicked the door shut, chuckling as the throw pillow hit the frame a split second too late.

* * *

The two members of the Suna seal team returned from their missions early in the morning, and Gaara briefed them on what was to occur that evening, then sent them to sleep and recover. Late afternoon found Iruka, Sai, and the two new members in with Gaara in the library.

"Alright, Iruka-sensei and Sai-san, this is Dragon-san, my ANBU barrier and seal expert," Gaara stated, indicating a masked male figure, "and Kira-san, a jounin and also very versed in seals and traps." A tan woman with sun-bleached hair and shinobi blues nodded to the two men.

"Now come with me, you four, and let me show you what we have designed. The barrier seal we have developed will be one where you are on the outside and the barrier is formed at your backs. I have mobilized ANBU to guard the temple and grounds while this is taking place. Let me show you the design." The four warriors gathered around Gaara, and were soon engrossed in the fascinating subject matter, interjecting and excitedly modifying the barrier to be as effective as possible.

* * *

Suna was known for its sunsets. The dry air and summer heat lent itself to a spectacular show almost every night. This night, however, was proving to be one of the most stunning displays in recent memory, and Temari took it to mean that all would be alright as the dying light illuminated the strange group of people gathered at the gates. Or, she mused, it was a fitting send off, if this didn't work. She snorted. Shikamaru looked inquiringly over at her, and she shook her head.

A whirlwind of sand, and Gaara coalesced in front of everyone. "We need to walk a small distance across the desert to get to the temple. Kai is already there, making preparations. It is not far, and I have already cleared out the area, but be aware and alert." He then turned and began walking out into the desert with singular determination. After a small pause, Temari started to follow, an unspoken signal to everyone.

Shikamaru stepped up to her side and clasped her hand.

"Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'm going to be. I've done some strange things in my career as a shinobi, but of course the most odd would occur when I am trying to be a mother. Seems fitting. This family always had to do stuff in the most difficult way possible."

Shikamaru grunted. "Well, you and I tend to not take the easy route with anything, so why should this be any different? Think about how long it took for us to confess our feelings to each other. We are both idiots." Temari started to giggle as the memories of the onsen debacle filled her head. Yep, idiots.

As twilight descended on the desert, the flat expanse of sand dunes gave way to a small covered temple, with four pillars and a roof, nestled in a gully with an elevated hill behind it. Stepping out of the small entrance was Kai. As they walked up closer, they noticed that she seemed ready for battle. Her hair was braided back into one big tail that fell to the middle of her shoulders, which were bare. She was covered in white paint that dotted above her eyes across her forehead, down her nose and chin, stripes on her cheeks, and followed a path down the middle of her body, meeting with dots on her stomach. She was wearing a two piece top and skirt that was slit up the side, revealing leggings and soft leather boots. She held a leather bag in her hand that seemed to be full of unknown items, and she was calm and serene in her manner.

"I need to prepare the wheel, then we may begin. The moon is full tonight. Perfect for aligning the elements. Gaara-kun, if you will?"

Gaara nodded and together they headed to the top of the hill. Curious, Temari followed at a distance. As they reached the top, Gaara waited as Kai stalked the area, looking on the ground for something only she could see. Seemingly satisfied, she called him over, pointing to the ground.

"Here, Gaara. I feel it is here. Can you do it?" Temari studied the area that Kai had indicated. All she saw was a flat dune top with no scrub covering it like other areas of the dune. As she glanced over at her brother, however, she heard the tell-tale rustling of the sand in his gourd and saw it pour out to surround him. Suddenly, the very ground shook and part of it started to rise. A disk shaped patch of earth rose up, and as sand rained down from the edges, Temari gaped at the circle revealed below. Unlike the chakra circles commonly used in shinobi healing and summoning, this one was more crude, yet seemed to thrum with power. There was a total of twelve stones, similar to the face of a clock. Facing north, south, east and west were stones that were larger than the others, and they seemed to almost vibrate with energy. Linking the four directions were small white lines, made of shells and rocks. Gaara completed the removal of the cover, placing it on the ground, and scoured sand from the surface of the circle, taking care to not move any of the stones or lines.

Kai smiled, pleased with the results. She then looked behind her, as the others gathered to watch the preparations. "Iruka-san. You will be first. You will place your back to the stone in the south when I tell you. Dragon-san, you will then go past and sit at the west. Make sure you are all faced outside of the stones. Kira-san, you will be at the north. And Sai-san. You will need to be at the east. However, do not sit until I tell you to. As soon as you sit, Sai-san, you must draw the close to the barrier. Gaara, you will enter from the east into the middle, stand in the joining. Then Shikamaru, then Temari. I will enter last. I will close the circle from the inside, then you must secure the barrier from the outside. Once the ritual starts, no one must move from their spots or I cannot control what occurs. I am trusting you all to be strong and hold the barrier. Do you all understand?"

The four barrier experts stood up taller and nodded assent. Kai looked toward the east, where a large full moon was rising. "It is fortuitous that this is occurring now. The hunting moon will aid in our success." The sky was illuminated, giving an unearthly glow to the circle around which they stood, and Temari felt the very air resonate. Gulping, she stepped closer to her husband's warmth. Kai looked at each of them and began to walk around the perimeter. She paused in front of each person, and whispered something to them. When she got to Iruka, a small whispered argument seemed to occur, suddenly cut off with a grin on Kai's face and a sheepish look on Iruka's. What was that about? As she came closer, nerves suddenly gripped Temari's stomach and she felt slightly nauseous. She was entrusting her life to something she knew nothing about. She had not felt this helpless in some time. Before she realized it, Kai was standing in front of her, those yellow eyes unreadable. She stepped closer and whispered to her.

"Temari-hime. I know you are scared. I know you are not sure of me. I mean you no harm, however, and it is in my benefit to help you at this time. I foresee great things for you, your family, and yourchild. Your son will surpass you both. He is the culmination of generations, and he is made of love and light. There is no greater gift than that." Smiling softly, she stepped away, leaving Temari wide-eyed. A son? Before she could get lost in her thoughts, however, Kai raised her voice. People of Suna and Konoha, it is time. Iruka-san, if you please."

Iruka took his spot at the stone, sitting down cross legged and leaning against the edge, spine straight. He pulled out the barrier seal that had been prepared. Dragon did the same, then Kira. Finally Sai stood next to the stone, lying out his paints to the edge and the paper next to it, his brush in his hand.

Kai surveyed the location of her warders. Evidently pleased with what she saw, she then motioned to Gaara, who entered past Sai into the center of the circle, followed by Shikamaru. Temari looked at Kai, then the moon, then each of the barrier experts here for her. She took a deep breath, and stepped in.

The wind seemed to be picking up as night fell and the temperature started its rapid descent. Temari shivered with nerves and cold. She felt like everything that she knew was about to change.

Kai put her hand in the bag, pulling out a silver knife, and stepped into the circle. She started to chant lowly, and then rose her voice to Sai, "close the barrier. It is time." Sai immediately sat down against the stone, pulled out his brush and added the last part of the barrier seal. The others did the same. The seal lines illuminated, and a violet wall sprung up between each of the stones, rising into the sky from the ground. Pleased, Kai then turned to the group in the middle.

"Temari. Gaara. Shikamaru. Please hold out your hands." Confused, the shinobi did as they were told. The shaman looked at them and said, "this is a blood magic. As you are joined as a family, you must be joined for the attunement." With no warning, Kai cut the palm of Gaara's hand so quickly that his ultimate defense belatedly rose up, half formed, then gently fell to the ground. She squeezed his hand in apology, and moved to Shikamaru, doing the same. When she got to Temari, she smiled at her, the strange leonine gaze studying her face.

"Temari, I need you to remove your yukata. I must have access to your seal." With the lack of modesty befitting only the most elite shinobi, Temari undid the obi with a skilled hand and shrugged the garment from her shoulders gracefully, letting it fall to the ground below. Then she held out her hand again, prepared for the swipe of the razor sharp blade. Kai then pulled their three hands toward her to overlap, their blood mingling. She quickly sliced her own palm and tucked the blade away in her boot in one smooth movement. Beginning to chant again in a language unknown to the shinobi, she used her other hand to gather blood from Gaara, Shikamaru and Temari, adding it to her own bleeding palm.

As the blood of the four joined together as one in the shaman's hand, Kai's eyes began to glow in an unearthly light. Temari's hair started to stand up on the back of her neck and arms as she felt and saw pure chakra energy pouring from her eyes and traveling down her body, illuminating each of the painted marks on her dark skin, glowing like stars in the dead cold of winter. A faint golden haze covered her entire being, ignoring chakra pathways and instead pouring unbidden from everywhere, coalescing around her hands and eyes. The shaman seemed otherworldly and supremely dangerous, and Temari wondered if anyone in this circle would have the strength to stand against her if the need arose. Kai smiled, looking dangerous and predatory, almost as if she could read her startled thoughts. Her chanting reached a crescendo and without warning, she slammed her palm, blood of four, into the center of Temari's seal.

The seal immediately began to retract from her abdomen, unwinding like a top in the center, while the four points dissolved back into the center. Temari gasped as her chakra ran back through her pathways at lightning speed. She felt her strength come back, and more than that, felt the chakra of hers intertwine with that of her son's. It was a heady experience. Silence reined in her mind as everything settled for a moment. A pulse. Perfect stillness.

Before she even realized it, she was down on her knees, cradling her abdomen, which had begun to move. The taps of a child's foot. As she crouched on the ground, protectively hunched around her unborn, she felt it. The foreign warmth, gathering in her center, seeming to come directly from her child. It was pouring out of her center chakra point, the one right over her womb, and this time, it was disregarding all the well-worn pathways of her body to manifest outside of her body, a ghostly light growing stronger. She faintly heard a startled yelp, and cries nearby, but was not interested in such things as pure power began to infuse her being. She had never felt so strong. She was a goddess. She was a protector. No one could stop her from taking what was rightfully hers. Teal eyes began to glow with an unearthly, insane light.

* * *

Shikamaru knew it was going to be troublesome. He knew it. The minute the seal was removed and Temari fell to her knees, he could feel the wrongness. As she stood up again, he could see that Temari was no longer here, no longer present. Kai quickly placed a glowing hand back on her abdomen, the yellow chakra warring with the blue. She tried to hold on, and desperately grasped Temari's arm with her hand, keeping herself steady. Temari's insane eyes never left Shikamaru's as she backhanded Kai with such force that she flew toward the far barrier wall. Gaara's sand defense was the only thing to cushion her, but the wall of force cracked nonetheless with the pressure of her body. Vaguely, Shikamaru noticed Sai desperately pulling out barrier paper and a brush and yelling at the others as he feverishly drew. The barrier fluctuated, then came back stronger. Even so, if Temari wished it, nothing would hold up against her wrath. The thought terrified and excited Shikamaru at equal turns.

He knew he was the one who had to get through to her. Glancing over to Gaara and Kai, he saw that the shaman had gotten shakily to her feet, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and held in Gaara's arms, sand swirling agitatedly around them both. He took a deep breath, and stepped up to within touching distance of his wife. The second he crossed into the center of the circle, Temari's eyes widened and wind jutsu poured out of her, swirling faster and faster until a maelstrom encircled them both, keeping them in the eye of the storm but pressing against the edges. He vaguely saw Gaara and Kai in a protective shell of sand in the corner as the wind tried to scour away his sand defenses. Gaara was powerful but his chakra could not hold up to such an onslaught forever.

He looked back at his wife, and to his surprise, she softly smiled at him. "My Shikamaru. My beloved. No one can hurt us. We are invincible. I will protect us all." The agitated chakra swirled up and down her body in a sinuous loop, crossing over itself in a hypnotic pattern. He could not help but be pulled into the vortex. Reaching down lightly, he gently brushed her swollen belly, feeling the baby inside kicking actively.

"It is a son, Shikamaru. The witch told me, but I know it to be true. He will be powerful, and I will protect him." He then felt the chakra begin to try to siphon his life from him again as it had done that day in the Hokage's office. Stepping back and removing his hand, he tried to think. He was a genius, dammit! This shouldn't be too hard! What was he supposed to do here?

Temari quickly got distracted by the maelstrom whirling around her and the walls surrounding them all. With a mischievous grin on her face, she started to try channeling her new chakra stores into cutting through the storm and hitting parts of the wall. Cracks began to develop in the force wall, and she laughed out loud as the four ninja outside scrambled to reinforce it. Quickly tiring of the attack game, she instead poured more energy into her storm and began buffeting the protective dome around Gaara twice as hard, smiling as the two were briefly revealed until Gaara rebuilt the damaged section.

Shikamaru was running out of time. Gaara was extremely powerful, but right now Temari had bijou levels of chakra. He had to distract her and stop this.

Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. He always had known. Shaking his head on the obviousness of it all, he smiled to himself. Of course it would come down to the mushy romantic stuff. He stepped back up to the goddess in front of him and looked into her hypnotic teal eyes. This was the mother of his child, his wife. His beloved. He reached down for her face and turned it towards himself, and as she began to see him, he leaned forward and attached his lips to hers. She gasped into his mouth, and he took the opportunity to make the kiss deeper. He felt her arms go around him and her body relax. Reaching down blindly into his pouch, he drew a kunai and quickly sliced his palm open again. Still kissing her, he reached between their bodies and placed his hand on her belly. Temari jerked and opened her eyes, looking at him confusedly. Shikamaru smiled, and pushed all of his shadow power into his hand, where it met with her chakra. As the two forms met and melded into each other, the color of her aura changed from teal into purple. Shikamaru fondly stroked Temari's face with his other hand, and then grasped her around the waist to hold her steady as he kissed her deeply again, not even realizing their feet had left the ground. As they floated up off of the ground, the maelstrom around them began to stutter, then stopped altogether. The sudden silence was deafening, but the two lovers were completely unaware of anything besides each other.

Kai wiped the blood from her mouth, and grinned. She stepped back without hesitation into the middle of the circle, where Temari and Shikamaru were hovering a few feet off the ground. Eyes glowing again, she gathered energy in both her hands and then touched both Shikamaru and Temari, chanting words in her own language. She held onto their ankles for a few moments, and silence filled the space, followed by a loud concussion, which knocked everyone to the ground, both in and out of the space. As everyone regained their feet, they realized that the two in the center acted as if nothing had happened at all. In fact….

"The attunement is almost complete. Now the couple must perform a joining to lock in the power for the rest of pregnancy."

"Oh. OH!"

Kai grinned at Gaara as the other shinobi began to look distinctly uncomfortable. "Gaara, if you wouldn't mind..."

Gaara nodded and formed a sand dome around the couple. He then shook his head, and looked at his old friend. "You are quite pleased with yourself. You knew this was part of the ritual, didn't you?" Kai just laughed and grabbed Gaara's arm. "Come, all. I prepared ahead and have food in the temple. We will wait in there." The shinobi took off without delay down the hill, not wanting to even guess at what was going on inside the dome. Kai was last to leave, and smiled as a giggle was heard from inside. She had been able to help save this one. She had been able to protect one of Gaara's precious people. Chiyo would be proud.

* * *

_September 23_

The hospital room was quiet and peaceful, but the three inside weren't aware of anything but each other anyway.

"Welcome to the world, Nara Shikadai. We have waited for you for so long. We love you so much and will do anything in our power to protect you."

**END**


End file.
